Once a Charmer by Sharla Lovelace
Series: Charmed in Texas, #3
Romance Contemporary
October 17, 2017
Lyrical Shine

Reviewed by Tori

By day, Allie Greene stays busy with her family diner, and keeping tabs on her teenage daughter. What’s really exhausting Allie, however, are the nights. Not that she minds Bash Anderson unbuttoning her naughty desires—if only in her dreams. But what was he doing there at all? He’s her best friend, and a father figure to her girl. Talk about awkward. Talk about OMG-heat-and-fireworks that are flipping fifteen years of normal upside down. And now, when Allie needs him as a friend more than ever, logic doesn’t stand a chance against his lips and irresistible deep-blue eyes . . .

Sure, Bash has fantasized about Allie, but there’s no way he’d act on it. She and her daughter are the closest thing to family he’s ever known. With the exception of one drunken moment fifteen years ago, he and Allie have stayed on this side of the line—until that impulsive kiss of hers knocked him on his butt. That’s just one hurdle. Not only does Allie need Bash’s help to save her diner, but his apiary is in trouble, too. To stir the pot further, they’ve been roped into vying for the town’s Honey King and Queen contest—a sweet event that’s making them closer than ever. Something’s bound to come undone. Bash just hopes it’s not the friendship he’s worked so hard to hold on to. (Goodreads)

Allie Greene grew up in Charmed, TX and runs the family diner-The Blue Banana-while raising her daughter, Angel, and helping to take care of her father who has dementia. Having lived in the same trailer park as Carman Frost (Lucky Charmed) she too was a victim of her classmates’ teasing and the town’s disapproval. Intelligent, forthright, and always in control, Allie is shocked when she learns her father used the diner as collateral on a loan and now the loan shark has come to collect. Only, he doesn’t want money…he wants the diner.

I own fifty-one percent…

Oh my God

What did you do, Dad?

While Allie is trying to deal with the fact her livelihood may be taken away from her, she soon discovers through the grapevine aka the town pharmacist that her daughter may have a boyfriend and may be thinking about sex while the one person she wants to discuss all this with is avoiding her because of a spontaneous kiss.

Bash Anderson.

Bash is the town lothario and Allie’s best friend. He’s been at her side through thick and thin since high school. A father figure to Allie’s daughter and the local apiarist, Bash has his own problems, the main one being his attraction to Allie. He has always loved Allie but that love becomes sexually fueled after a shared kiss. However, she and Angel are the only family he has and they mean the world to him. He couldn’t survive losing them so he is trying his best to ignore his feelings and keep their friendship purely platonic.  

“You and Angel are my family. I’ll always be there for you.”

Once again, Lovelace takes us back to the small fictional town of Charmed, TX and brings us a funny, sweet, and satisfying friends to lovers romance between a single mother and her best friend in the whole wide world. Written in the first person, Lovelace tells her story through the eyes of Allie Greene-mother, father, daughter, caretaker, and business owner. Though touted as a romance, this story’s focus is more on all the different kinds of love in Allie’s life-her family, her friends, the town, her business-and how she deals with them. She has so many fingers in so many pies yet she handles it like a pro because she’s never had a choice not to. I especially enjoyed her relationship with her daughter. Firm but fair, Allie tries to be the perfect parent only to discover nothing about life or teenagers is perfect.

“In a month we can have this conversation.”

“He may not still be intersted in a month.”

“If he’s not interested in you in a month from now, then he’s not worth having.”  Oh sweet God, even as the words were flyng out of my mouth, I heard every old person I’d ever known.

There is a strong sense of isolation surrounding Allie even though she has a strong support system around her. She is reluctant to accept help from anyone because she learned early in life that no one ever stays. Her mother died and left her alone with a father who gambled away their savings and home. Her ex-boyfriend left her when he found out she was pregnant. The town turned their back on her when she needed them most. Even now she feels abandoned by her father because of his dementia. When push comes to shove, however, she lowers her guard and accepts the helping hands that have always been there.

“You’re Charmed family. We’ve got you.”

Strong narrative, witty banter, and dynamic characters kept me thoroughly entertained as we watch Lovelace bring together this prickly couple. Lovelace has an engaging and humorous voice for writing about everyday people. Her dry wit infiltrates the storyline as does her understanding of human nature. Sizzling chemistry and emotionally ripe scenes help to put the romance in motion and convince the reader this couple has a chance.  

“”What do you want to do?”

“I want to hear your breath catch when I get close, I want to see your eyes go all dark and sexy when you touch me, I want to feel the growly sigh you make in your cheat when we kiss.”

I only wish it had more one on one heart to heart. The subplots take up quite a bit of the storyline, causing a rush to wrap everything up at the end. There was that faint touch of paranormal that has been interwoven into the series that, in my opinion, was just a lazy out for Lovelace to take.

Once again Lovelace delivers readers a well rounded small town romance that will keep you laughing and swooning with pleasure. 

RATING: B

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